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Chapter 15 Lean synchronization 433
Figure 15.3 Reducing the level of inventory (water) allows operations management (the ship) to see the problems
in the operation (the rocks) and work to reduce them
Synchronization, ‘lean’ and ‘just-in-time’
Different terms are used to describe what here we call ‘lean synchronization’. Our definition
– ‘lean synchronization aims to meet demand instantaneously, with perfect quality and no waste’ –
could also be used to describe the general concept of ‘lean’, or ‘just-in-time’ (JIT). The concept
of ‘lean’ stresses the elimination of waste, while ‘just-in-time’ emphasizes the idea of producing
items only when they are needed. But all three concepts overlap to a large degree, and
no definition fully conveys the full implications for operations practice. Here we use the term
‘lean synchronization’ because it best describes the impact of these ideas on flow and delivery.
Lean synchronization and capacity utilization
Lean synchronization has many benefits but these come at the cost of capacity utilization.
Return to the process shown in Figure 15.2. When stoppages occur in the traditional system, the
buffers allow each stage to continue working and thus achieve high-capacity utilization. The
high utilization does not necessarily make the process as a whole produce more. Often extra
‘production’ goes into buffer inventories. In a lean process, any stoppage will affect the whole
process. This will necessarily lead to lower-capacity utilization, at least in the short term.
However, there is no point in producing output just for its own sake. Unless the output is
useful and causes the operation as a whole to produce saleable products, there is no point in
producing it anyway. In fact, producing just to keep utilization high is not only pointless, it
is counter-productive, because the extra inventory produced merely serves to make improvements
less likely. Figure 15.4 illustrates the two approaches to capacity utilization.
The lean philosophy
Terminology in this area is sometimes a little confusing and has evolved over time, as mentioned
previously. To make things more complicated, lean synchronization can be viewed as a
broad philosophy of operations management, a set of useful prescriptions of how to manage
day-to-day operations, and a collection of tools and techniques for improving operations
performance. Some of these tools and techniques are well known outside the lean sphere and
relate to activities covered in other chapters of this book. As a philosophy, lean synchronization
is founded on smoothing flow through processes by doing all the simple things well, on
gradually doing them better and (above all) on squeezing out waste every step of the way.
Three key issues define the lean philosophy, the involvement of staff in the operation, the drive
for continuous improvement, and the elimination of waste. 2 We will look at the first two issues
briefly, but devote a whole section to the central idea of the elimination of waste.